Joan’s Boomer Blog

A new Harvard study about potatoes making us fat was recently reported in the Wall Street Journal. It said too that the National Potato Council had no comment as of yet. If you just read the headline, you’d think skipping that baked potato will help you stay slim and if everyone reads only the headline, then the potato will soon have the same bad rap that eggs got several years ago. Skipping potatoes will become the cure-all for obesity in the US.

Read further, however, and you see it isn’t ALL potatoes, but French fries and potato chips that are the culprits. Really! Who didn’t know that eating chips and French fries packs on empty calories (if you would even consider a McDonald’s fry to be a real potato, which I don’t). Filling yourself with fries and chips is giving your body no nutrition to work with so it all goes right to the waistline.

The truth is white potatoes are high on the glycemic index, which means

which means eating a potato raises your blood sugar faster than eating, say some spinach. Spinach is a 15 on the glycemic index, while a boiled potato is 56. However, a sweet potato, at 54, is considered “low” on the glycemic index and many studies will tell you to eat a sweet potato and not a white potato.

If you’d like to read more about the glycemic index, click here.

The thing about these “studies” is that, if you simply read the headlines, which many people do, you don’t get the full story. Chips and French Fries are not only made up of potatoes, they contain salt and trans fats. Too much salt in the diet raises blood pressure and artificially produced trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils have been shown, by other “studies,” to contribute to heart disease. (but even here there is more to the story as naturally occurring transfat in beef and dairy products is not shown to be harmful. CLA, in fact has been shown to decrease belly fat and is found in higher amounts in grass fed beef vs commercially raised beef).

Confused yet?

To me, the very best advice is still to eat more fruits and veggies, exercise and avoid sugar and processed foods, such as chips and fries, or anything that comes out of a box. Stick to whole foods and the less processed the better. An occasional potato or egg or even a chip won’t ruin your health but the key is moderation.

Some things which aren’t technically good for us make life worth living. My 83-year-old mother eats ice cream every night. She says, “I know I probably shouldn’t eat this ice cream but what if I died in my sleep? Would it really matter that I’d eaten it?”

Now, my mom is healthy and spry for an 83-year-old. She gardens every day and watches her diet in all other ways, but to her, that ice cream makes life worth living.

I guess our health pretty much comes down to daily decisions that we make about what we eat, if we go for that walk or not, if we sit around and watch tv and eat chips every night. Being conscious of those daily decisions and choosing the right ones for us can keep us healthy well into our elder years. The opposite is also true. Make unhealthy decisions on a daily basis and your body will make you pay for that abuse with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and all other manner of nasty things.

What health decisions are you making today?

If you want to know more about healthy eating, sign up for Eating For Energy - Free email course Raw Foods 101

I’ve been learning tai chi for about eight months and I thought it was time to give an update on how I’m doing with it.

First, What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a form of moving meditation, made up of slow, gentle, flowing movements which require focus, concentration and patience to perform. Tai chi began in China as a form of exercise for martial artists and each movement in Tai chi relates to a martial arts theory or posture. The benefits of tai chi include stretching all major joints and muscles, but gently, which makes it excellent for seniors. Tai chi isn’t only low impact, if done properly, it is NO impact.

Tai chi postures open up the flow of chi, or life force energy. Improving the flow of chi is thought to increase health and longevity, quiet the mind and reduce stress. Tai chi practice improves lung health because each movement involves one deep breath - “One movement, one breath,” as my tai chi instructor says many times in each class.

Over time, a daily tai chi practice will improve balance and muscle strength as well.

So, what has Tai chi done for me?

One thing I’ve discovered is that learning tai chi is addictive! I started out going to one class weekly at the local YMCA. Our instructor, Terry, is extremely knowledgeable and very precise. We practice the same movements over and over so we can learn them from the inside out, basically. According to Terry, in China those learning tai chi would do just one simple movement over and over for a month or more, until they had internalized it.

Back to the addicting part. I started getting up 30 minutes early to do my own daily practice. Then I added a Sunday advanced class about 3 weeks ago. Another newby in the class and I found someone from the class who has studied with Terry for 8 years and is willing to meet with us for two hours on Fridays, plus about an hour or so before each class.

So what am I gaining from all these tai chi sessions? Since tai chi is all about letting go of tension in the body, I find that I am not holding my muscles tightly wound like I used to. I think this is something most of us do without even thinking about it. We just live all tensed up.

Try this. Sit in a chair like you normally would. Then close your eyes, take a very slow, deep in breath. Let it out slowly. As you let out your breath, focus on releasing all tension in your body. Just watch it flow away and melt into the chair. This relaxed feeling is how tai chi teaches you to feel, not only when you’re practicing, but all the time. Once you release that tension, it’s hard to feel stressed about anything.

Releasing tension also helps me to sleep more soundly at night, which is a wonderful thing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had many nights where I just keep waking up, unable to really fall deeply asleep. Since I started learning tai chi, I only very rarely have a night like that.

Although tai chi provides a gentle stretch to muscles, the more you do it, the more deeply you stretch so my muscles and joints feel much better. Close attention is paid in class to doing each movement the correct way so that no strain is put on the body. I know my yoga teacher always says yoga is not about being in pain but still, I think everyone finds themselves stretching a little beyond the painful point and holding a little longer than is comfortable, just to challenge themselves.

In tai chi, “Muscle strength has not yet been invented,” Terry says. He is constantly telling us to stop trying so hard, stop pushing, stop forcing. Tai chi is about letting go. In weightlifting, you want to do as many reps as possible to build strength and muscle. In tai chi, it is never about how many of given postures you do, it’s about how many you do with understanding.

Since tai chi focuses on moving from your center, balance improves. Movements are slow and flowing so patience, focus and coordination improve.

Since I began as a person who had trouble knowing right from left and certainly couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Tai chi is teaching me to get out of the mind and stop thinking about how to move my hands and feet together.

Another thing I’ve noticed is improved leg strength. Although I’ve been practicing yoga for about 2 years and taking other classes at the Y for probably 4 years, tai chi has really built up the strength in my legs. The reason is that you practice with knees slightly bent which builds muscle strength from the bone outward.

I walk my dogs every day and I have to admit that about a year ago I was experiencing some muscle weakness episodes at times when I was walking. Also, if I would get up from a chair after sitting for a long period, my legs would get a weak feeling and my muscles would ache until I’d walked a few steps. It occurred to me the other day that I never have those feelings anymore at all. My legs feel very strong.

I’ve written in my blog before about suffering from some form of neuropathy. Who knows what kind because the neurologist certainly can’t tell me. Anyway, I’ve suffered a full body tingling sensation that was constant for about 5 years. Since doing tai chi on a daily basis, plus qigong, which is another form of energy exercise, my tingling has diminished and not only that, I find I’m not really thinking about it.

The tingling used to bother me every minute of the day, plus I’d suffer from restless leg syndrome and leg pain in the evenings and at night. Now I go through entire days and never notice any of this at all. I think focusing on the tingling was causing stress and the stress was making it worse. I also like to think that opening up the energy channels so the chi can flow freely has reduced any neuropathy symptoms.

If you’re interested in aging well, and who isn’t, give some thought to finding a tai chi class near you. Most YMCAs and senior centers offer tai chi classes, or you can find one at many martial arts studios too. I have several tai chi cd’s and you can learn basic postures from those as well. Qigong exercises are easy to learn and help you reduce stress and learn the flowing, meditative aspects of tai chi.

Here are some of the cd’s I’ve found helpful for getting started:

Tai Chi For Daily Practice by David Dorian Ross. Also available to “rent” for 7 days for just $2.99.

T’ai Chi Beginning Practice also by David Dorian Ross.

Qigong Beginning Practice. This 2 cd set includes a television production done for PBS on qigong by Garri Garapoli. My husband and I do these exercises 2-3 times a week and once you learn them, you can do a few every time you have a few moments and want to loosen up.

Garri Garapoli and his wife, Daisy Lee Garapoli, have several dvd’s out, including Qi Gong for Cleansing, which are all very good.

There are dozens of tai chi and qigong dvd’s out, but these are my favorites.

Don’t expect to learn everything at once when doing either tai chi or qigong. Even learning one movement and practicing that every day is giving you benefits. Find a few exercises you like and do them every day and see what happens. You might just get addicted!

Learn more about tai chi and qigong on WebMd

I’ve mentioned my friend Tom Grimes, who has a health coaching business, in past articles. Yesterday I received an email from Tom and asked his permission to share it with you. Tom’s good friend has spent the past few weeks in the hospital with complications directly related to obesity and diabetes. As Tom told me, this wasn’t one of his many success stories but it does give food for thought as we contemplate how our daily lifestyle choices affect our health.

Tom says, “I have been thinking about writing this email for several days. Actually, over the past 23 days I have been sitting daily in the ICU waiting room of Santa Rosa’s Memorial Hospital.

Someone very close to me, Nancy, has been hospitalized with a serious illnesses that is the direct result of obesity. A friend described Nancy as being “one sick puppy.” That is a very good description of her right now.

Unfortunately what Nancy is experiencing is becoming more and more common. In the U.S. 300,000 people die every year from the issues obesity and that figure does not include the millions who are experiencing a decrease in their quality of life.

Even though Nancy watched me lose weight and even lost some herself, she neglected to change her habits to maintain the weight she lost and her sugars went out of control by her food choices she was making.

So many times we wait and ignore or put off for another day which is exactly what Nancy was doing. I’m sure you know people who are making the same mistake that Nancy made. Perhaps you are too.

For several months I have been sending you my Healthy Habits eNewletter. 20 to 25 percent of the people I send it to click on the front page. A handful read one or more of the articles. I understand completely. However, now I’m challenging you. Check out the Healthy Habits eNewsletter in your inbox and share it with someone (click on Send to Friend) you know who may be struggling with their weight, energy or health. One doesn’t have to believe that it will work, you just have to follow the plan and it works. Why not give it a try before it is too late for you or your loved ones.

Please, also say a prayer for Nancy as she goes through this long recovery process.”

We do send Nancy our prayers, Tom.

If you would like to subscribe to Tom’s Healthy Habits monthly newsletter, click here for more information.

In the meantime, consider what you are eating today. Did you go for a daily walk? Did you spend some time doing something you truly enjoy, free from worry and stress? All of these are choices you make about how you are living your life. Each daily choice adds up to a life lived and each choice helps decide whether or not you end up like Nancy or whether you active, energetic, and healthy every day of your life.

If you’re interested in reducing those lines and wrinkles, maybe it’s time to start making your own natural skin care recipes. You can choose the very best anti-aging skin care ingredients and easily combine them into a totally natural, even organic, lotion, cream or under eye treatment. It’s easier than you think.

With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, the anti-aging skincare industry has been booming too! I recently did some research on the best anti-aging skincare products and was astounded to see products like Lifecell, rated the best in antiaging skincare by some, costs a whopping $189 for a two month supply. All of these expensive products contain chemicals and preservatives, which can be toxic to our bodies over the long term.

I’m certainly interested in the promises of more youthful skin that these companies advertise but somehow I choke at paying $80 to $100 a month to look younger. I discovered I could make my own natural, anti-aging skin care lotions, creams and toners for just pennies a day - many with ingredients from my own kitchen.

One investment I did make was to buy Sue Dolan’s ebook, Naturally Sensational - Rejuvenating Skin Care Recipes. Fifty-four year old Sue, featured in Real Simple Magazine, is an expert and researcher in antiaging skincare. Here ebook is chock full of recipes for facial scrubs, masks, toners, moisturizers, under eye treatments, facial mists and more - all made quickly and easily with natural ingredients found in your own kitchen.

Besides the recipes, Sue added lots of tips for sensational skin and how each skin care recipe works to create more youthful skin. There is also a great resource section which lists natural ingredients and what each one does for your skin when added to a recipe.

Here’s one recipe for a natural skin enriching mask, made with common ingredients you probably have on hand:

Skin Enriching Mask

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon yogurt

Whisk the honey, egg yolk and yogurt together thoroughly. Slowly
drizzle in the olive oil while whisking briskly.

Apply to skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse well with warm water.

Natural moisturizing treatments, especially for aging skin, commonly include natural oils, honey or aloe vera. Natural oils could include olive oil, walnut oil or almond oil. Don’t forget too, if you want organic skin care products, nearly any ingredient is available as organic.

Where to get natural skin care recipe ingredients:

• Your local grocery store or supermarket
• Health Food stores which carry many essential oils and herbs which you’d want to include in your recipes
• Order online from places like Amazon.com. Many of their products offer free shipping too. Here are just a few of Amazon’s natural skin care ingredients;

100% Unrefined Certified Grade A Shea Butter which is offers UV protection, softens skin and has antioxidant properties.

Organic Argan Oil which reduces wrinkles, improves skin’s elasticity and reduces scarring and stretch marks - plus you can use it on your hair to restore shine and promote hair growth.

Lavender Oil Properties include being antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulant, healing, promotes cell activity and regeneration.

Another informative book to get you started on creating your own natural skin care recipes-The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 600 Natural, Non-Toxic and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health - Beauty - a Safe Home Environment

Don’t worry about needing special tools to make your skin care recipes either. Mostly all you need is a pan for heating, a blender of some sort and clean, air tight containers, plus whatever ingredients you want to use. Make a little at a time and store the rest of your ingredients for months.

Try a few natural skin care recipes and test for yourself if they perform as well as the expensive varieties. You may just discover younger looking skin at a fraction of the price.

Check out my new AntiAging SkinCare tips blog. I’d love your comments.

The following healthy living article is a guest post by Jim Rollince, a member of the creative writing department at Gym Source, a distributor of home gyms and exercise equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, arc trainers, bikes and more.

Exercising to avoid the seasonal flu is amongst some of the top preventative measures to take during the cold season.

Research demonstrates that a certain amount of exercise each week will help strengthen the immune system against viruses that attack during cold season. The general consensus is that 30 minutes a day/3 or 4 times a week is a perfect amount of exercise for most people. This includes things like:

• Aerobics
• Weight-lifting
• Running
• Cycling
• Treadmills
• Ellipticals

For some people, they take on more challenging activities like intramural sports (i.e. – soccer). Athletes find enjoyment in athletic competition, and through this enjoyment they’re typically able to double the normal workout of the average gym visitor. Keep in mind, entertaining intramural sports can sometimes be the equivalent to two workouts combined; people should keep this in mind when frequenting the gym 3 or 4 times a week. Letting the body rest with a maximum of 2 or 3 days can eventually offset this. This brings me to my next point.

There’s also a great deal of research that shows how too much fitness can be detrimental to one’s immune system. Grueling endurance training has been known to affect the immune system negatively – This would involve running more than 40/50 miles a week. For athletes required to perform at such high levels, it’s recommended that they get immediate rest and warmth following their long sessions. Typically, this would encompass marathon and long-distance runners.

Technically speaking, during a vigorous cardio routine, the body will react with a temporary decrease in immune system function, producing certain hormones that definitively lower immunity. Otherwise known as Cortisol and Adrenaline, these stress hormones can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels, further suppressing the immune system. This can ultimately lead to overtraining syndrome, which can include any of the following symptoms:

• Drop in performance
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Headaches
• Muscle Pain
• Joint Pain
• Decreased appetite
• Increase Injury

But moderation is the key to achieving a successful workout while avoiding sickness. Again, working your body for a solid 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week will effectively help safe-guard your body from disease. Conjunctively, rest and recovery days are essential to allow your immune system to “catch up.” If you’re already ill, it’s highly recommended to avoid the gym altogether, until you’ve had a chance to get well.

Getting older many times means that health problems become part of our lives. Every trip to the doctor can add a new health concern. The doctor offers a pill and many patients will just take it, hoping for a magical cure. As the health problems pile up, the amount of medications each person is taking also begins to pile up. Each drug brings its own side effects and when you are taking half dozen or more different pills, the drug side effects can begin to cause problems of their own. Soon your poor body is in one heck of a mess.

When I go to any doctor and list the medications I take, nobody can believe the answer is zero. For someone nearly 60 years old, the list of pills for different health problems is usually long and complicated. I have to say, I’ve been offered medications, one for better bladder control, one for bone density and one for neuropathy. It I were taking all of them, I’m personally convinced I’d feel worse, not better.

So, what should you do when a health problem comes up? Research, research, research!

One of my first steps in researching health issues is always finding out about natural remedies. I can tell you, though, that most advice on natural remedies for health problems boils down to diet and exercise. Sorry, there is no real way around that and a magic pill won’t change it either. I do check out reputable sources for this advice, such as Dr. Andrew Weil, who is an expert on natural and alternative remedies but always offers well researched advice.

You can also check sites like WebMd and the Mayo Clinic website for information about any condition.

If you have a specific condition, you can check specific sites relating to that health issue. Many have forums also. Reading some of the forums and the problems many people face, you might even find out you aren’t as bad off as lots of people out there!

I also check amazon.com to find out what books are out on different health issues and I read all the customer reviews to see if it would be worthwhile to order any.

My husband and I are starting to see health problems crop up. My husband was told he has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease which attacks the thyroid. The doctor’s answer was to start thyroid hormone replacement. We’ve spent quite a bit of time researching this disease now and found that many with Hashimoto’s are also have gluten sensitivity - something the doctor never mentioned. Cutting the gluten can really help those with an autoimmune disorder. We also ordered a book on Hashimoto’s which convinced my husband that he needs to be seeing an endocrinologist who can take a look at the whole picture of his autoimmune condition, instead of just throwing pills at his thyroid.

As far as my own health issues - I decided I could live with my bladder issues (lol) and after researching bone density medications and natural ways to build bone density, I found decided against taking bone density medication but I did find exercises like yoga and tai chi are recommended, as well as a bone health diet and different supplements.

My other health issue has proven very mysterious. About 4 years ago, I started having a tingling sensation in my entire body. It has progressed slowly but it’s pretty much a 24/7 feeling of tingling, some numbness and sometimes a burning sensation. I went to a neurologist who, after doing some muscle testing, told me he had no idea what was causing it and all he could offer was a medication to dull the sensation. These medications are anti-depressants, anti-convulsives and other anti- this and that, which have some potentially bad side effects.

I went back to him about once a year for four years now. I also got a second opinion which was no more enlightening than the first one. Last year, the neurologist told me I “might” have small fiber neuropathy, which affects the nerve fibers of the skin. When I researched this, I found that it did pretty much fit my symptoms.

Over the course of the past four years, I’ve taken up yoga and tai chi, had energy massages, acupuncture and went through hypnotherapy. All these are helping my state of mind but not the tingling. I’ve tried various supplements for neuropathy, with no results either.

I finally decided recently that maybe I should try the medication. In the course of researching possible medications, however, I found that in 70% of cases, there is a treatable cause. A doctor in Massachusetts provided a form online with all the tests he did for neuropathy. I’ve had a couple of these, such as for diabetes, in my regular physicals but I hadn’t had any of the others.

So, on my visit to the neurologist, I took my list with me. He said, “These tests are on our routine neuropathy panel as well.” I think even he was a little perplexed as to why these had never been done on me up to this point. He said, “Let’s hold off on the medication so we can see that we give you the right one.” Thanks for that!

So the end of the story has not been told yet. I did go get about 10 vials of blood drawn and will find out the results at the end of the month. I may still find out I’m in the 30% of neuropathy patients with no known cause but at least I’m looking out for myself.

If you discover you have a health problem, no matter what it is, don’t just blindly accept a medication and hope for the best.

• Research your condition
• Make a list of questions to ask your doctor.
• Make sure you fully understand what he tells you.
• Find out from your doctor and you research if there is something natural you can do to help yourself. Most things, like diet and exercise won’t have any adverse effects on any medical advice you get.
• Keep a positive attitude!

I can’t begin to tell you how important this last one is. I’ve certainly gone through a hundred different emotional states over the past four years. I wondered if I’d eventually end up incapacitated or if I had something like MS, I grew tired and frustrated from not finding any answers. Sometimes I got depressed.

Over time, however, I’ve chosen to focus on the positive aspects of this situation. I focus on what I can do, which is eat an excellent diet, exercise and do my yoga and tai chi for my health and spirit, and meditate on my body’s ability to heal itself.

If it weren’t for the neuropathy, I wouldn’t be so adamant about sticking to the path I am on right now and maybe that’s what it’s all about in the end, no matter what the doctor tells me.

If you have asthma, Chronic bronchitis or emphysema, or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) it’s very important to work with your doctor to manage your treatment. However, practicing yoga breathing techniques can improve the condition of your lungs and the quality of your life, no matter what your age, and you don’t have to do yoga to benefit from these exercises.

Deep breathing has benefits for everyone, not just those who suffer from lung conditions. Most of us breath shallowly and one of the best relaxation techniques you can do is to take several deep, slow breaths.In fact, deep breathing can even help speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight.

I’ve been doing yoga consistently for about 3 years and slow, deep breathing, done in conjunction with flowing body movements has made my lungs and joints feel 100% better than they used to. About three months ago, I started studying tai chi which also emphasizes deep breathing which corresponds to body movements. Having become more conscious of my breath, I find that I’m breathing deeper much more often throughout my day.

Both yoga and tai chi are so relaxing that I’m sorry I didn’t take them up many years ago!

If you don’t want to take a yoga class, or don’t have time, here are some helpful tools to teach you yoga deep breathing techniques. It won’t take long to improve your lung health, and feel more relaxed and energized.

Breathe - Guided Yoga and Breathing Exercises To Relax and Revive Rodney Yee is a favorite of mine and I have several of his Yoga Cds. His voice is relaxing and he takes you through various breathing exercises for health and relaxation. This one also includes some simple relaxation yoga poses.

Functional Fitness for COPD and Asthma - an on demand rental from Amazon which you can use for 7 days for just $1.99. If you decide you like the exercises in the video, you can also purchase it. These exercises require no special equipment and can help reduce the symptoms of asthma and COPD, plus there is some explanation of these conditions.

Yoga Breathing - Guided Meditations for Beginners. Don’t be put off by the word meditation in the title. Meditation focuses on breath and breath is what you need to improve if you have COPD or Emphysema. This is an MP3 download and you can listen to samples and then download the entire MP3 for $4.95 or individual breathing meditations for 99 cents each.

Here’s one I just started using on the basis of a recommendation in Yoga Journal: The Practice of Pranayama: An In-Depth Guide to the Yoga of Breath. I have been looking for a guide that would help me learn the art of yogic breathing and this 7 CD set is a complete program. If you have any type of lung or breathing problems, you don’t have to do yoga to benefit from this practice.

Pranayama is a Sanskrit word with two parts. Prana, meaning life force or breath, and yama, meaning to suspend or to control. Pranayama is control of breath and this 8 hour, 155 track CD breathing program, Richard Rosen says, (from Yoga Journal) will help “your breath will smooth and lengthen, your mind will become calm and clear….and you will gradually fine-tune the dial of your consciousness.”

Read more about the benefits of deep breathing and some simple breathing exercises.

Natural Remedies for COPD, Emphysema and Asthma

Read more about COPD on WebMd

Guest post byLovera Wolf Miller and David C Miller, authors of WOMENOPAUSE: STOP PAUSING AND START LIVING

The Beatles and Menopause: Waisted Resonance

Who could have guessed that four mid-twenty-year-olds living in England forty some years ago would pen two songs describing the most intensely personal menopause problems facing women in the US in 2010? Both songs recorded in the summer of 1969 are pure pop prophecy: “Carry That Weight” and “She’s So Heavy”. Weight gain in midlife is numero uno in women’s confidential “I can’t stand it” list.

Right or wrong, almost every woman wishes her waist would shape up. However, a preoccupation with the waistline does not, by itself, improve the waistline. This article will expose The Metabolic Syndrome, take the wraps off how it ruins figures, and detail what can be done about it.

Adult women almost universally gain weight beginning at age twenty, and during perimenopause, most women gain more than a pound a year. In times past, 20 or 30 extra pounds were considered merely a cosmetic problem. Today we know differently. If those pounds are concentrated at the waist (as they usually are) it may mean a serious health problem: The Metabolic Syndrome. There is something uniquely different about those fat cells.

One important distinction: at the waist there are two types of fat. The subcutaneous fat that lies on the surface is metabolically different from the abdominal fat that resides inside of the abdomen. The inside “visceral” fat disrupts glucose metabolism and secrets inflammatory compounds that injure the cardiovascular system.

There are five measurable factors that define The Metabolic Syndrome: 1) a waistline measurement (at the belly button) greater than 35 inches, 2) triglycerides greater than 150, 3) HDL-C less than 50, 4) blood pressure greater than 130/85, 4) fasting blood sugar over 100. Any three of the five portend serious health risk and the waistline measurement alone may be the crucial part of the whole deal.

The Metabolic Syndrome is a silent partner that operates behind the scenes undermining the health of the cardiovascular system. The Metabolic Syndrome turns what looks like a figure problem into a life and death struggle. The following are some of the medical misfortunes awaiting those with The Metabolic Syndrome: heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, premature death, and others, not the least of which, it almost completely eliminates a woman’s interest in wearing a swim suit!

Menopause gets blamed for midlife weight gain, but there is a lot more to it than that. Certainly, declining estrogen after age forty changes a woman’s metabolism, and in complicated ways, makes a more conducive environment for synthesizing fat compared to younger women. Fretting about not being young may sabotage the present joys of maturity and is pointless. Adjusting how we live makes more sense. Remaining trim or regaining a trim figure is absolutely achievable by every woman, but it does not happen by wishful thinking. Waistlines are created like a sculptor creates a fine statue—she keeps chipping away day after day, one little hard chip after another.

The Metabolic Syndrome is caused by, shall we say, less than optimal life style choices. Please notice the word “choices”, because The Metabolic Syndrome is completely optional and all of the contributing factors are under our control. At the top of the cause list is weight gain followed by: smoking, uncompensated caloric intake, high carbohydrate diet, and sedentary activities (by the way, isn’t “sedentary activities” an oxymoron?)

Good news! All of the principle causes for The Metabolic Syndrome are fixable. Of course, we are not talking “easy to fix” but what easy thing is there that matters? For a jumpstart on shaping your waist consider doing the following for 3 months. We call this Fast 4 Fit: 1) walk 15,000 steps a day, 2) no sugared drinks, 3) no bread (of any kind), 4) no potatoes. Simple enough. For the long haul, (and we are all in it for the long haul aren’t we?) we must adhere to the following:

· A). Eat only real food (whole fresh food that does not have any labeling on it describing its contents) and not too much of it. Eat mostly foods with color.

· B). Exercise everyday like our life depended upon it (that’s because it does).

· C). Lose weight and shoot for a BMI under 25,

· D). Measure your waist regularly and inch down under 35 at a minimum.

· E). Become smoke free.

· F). Supplement your otherwise perfect diet with 2 grams of fish oil and 800 mcg of Folic Acid.

· G). Take blood pressure medication as prescribed by your doctor.

· H). Take Metformin as prescribed by your doctor.

· I). Take lipid lowering medication (like Lipitor) as prescribed by your doctor.

· J). Substitute Benecol for butter or margarine.

· K). Consider taking Menopausal Hormone Therapy in consultation with your gynecologist.

It is never too late, and there will never be a better day than today to become healthier. It is not a matter of staying young or turning back the clock. It is a matter of here and now and being the best we can be. Getting back into a better shape has some bonuses in addition to improved health and longevity. We can become an inspiration to our spouses, kids, and friends. Presently, over 40% of US women over the age of sixty have The Metabolic Syndrome. Speaking of that, it brings to mind another Beatles song from 1967. It is the question inherent in aging “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?”

For more information about The Metabolic Syndrome and menopause (but sadly not more about the Beatles!), check out our book: WOMENOPAUSE: STOP PAUSING AND START LIVING available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, or Boarders. Visit us at: www.womenopausebook.com or send us questions and feedback: womenopausebook@mac.com

The following is a guest article by Lovera Wolf Miller, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. N.C.M.P., and David C. Miller, M.D., M.A., D.A.B.P.M., N.C.M.P. authors of WOMENOPAUSE: STOP PAUSING AND START LIVING. It provides vital information for women about hormone therapy. Be sure to scroll to the end of the article for some valuable resources on menopause too.

There is probably no single subject concerning women’s midlife health that is more disputed than the use of menopausal hormone therapy. It is a subject with enduring questions. The proper use of hormone therapy for menopausal women has been contested for the past one hundred years, and the arguments are not likely to go away anytime soon. Scientific investigations of the past decade have revealed four important new caveats concerning the effectiveness and safety of postmenopausal hormone therapy, and that is the subject of this communication.

Before launching into the new information it might be useful to briefly review the old. The fact that menopausal hormone therapy quickly and reliably reduces or eliminates menopausal symptoms has never been seriously disputed. Vasomotor symptoms prevalent during perimenopause and postmenopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and insomnia are corrected with hormone therapy consisting of estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone for women with a uterus. The long-term disputes have to do with whether or not menopausal hormone therapy is safe and whether it aids in the prevention of serious health diseases.

#1. The window of opportunity: It is now quite clear that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is safer if it is initiated at or near the time of menopause, (menopause being defined as the final menstrual period). Certainly for women who start taking hormones within ten years of menopause the risks of MHT are substantially less. In fact, for healthy menopausal women there appears to be only substantial long-term health benefits. This “window of opportunity” was not understood at the time of the WHI publication in 2002. That study lumped all ages of women together and since there was a preponderance of older postmenopausal women the data was skewed toward potential harm of MHT.

Subsequent reanalysis demonstrated a striking difference. If women began MHT within ten years of menopause, all of the health benefits became clear; reduction of cardiovascular disease (the #1 killer of women by far), reduction of osteoporosis, reduction of dementia, reduction of depression, reduction of hypertension, reduction of diabetes, reduction of metabolic syndrome, and to top it off, a reduction of all cause mortality by 40% (including an important reduction of breast cancer death). If women initiate MHT 10 to 20 years after menopause (no periods and no hormones for 10-20 years) there appears to be less benefit in prevention of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and so on. If women initiate MHT more than 20 years after menopause (no periods and no hormone therapy for more than 20 years) there appears to be an increased risk of cardiovascular disease for the first year of therapy that is higher than the incidence of women who remain off of MHT, but that risk disappears after the first year and then the risk remains below non-hormone users for all subsequent years. That piece of the puzzle, the “window of opportunity” is considered the most important new information about both the safety and effectiveness of menopausal hormone therapy in the prevention of serious health problems for women.

#2. Trasdermal estrogen therapy has advantages over oral estrogen pills: Orally consumed hormone therapy had been the standard mode of taking HRT in the past. Recent data points out the benefits of taking estrogen through the skin as apposed to taking it by mouth. All orally consumed hormones are absorbed from the intestines into the portal vein that drains the gut and transports the hormones directly to the liver. The liver processes the hormones into modified hormones, and at the same time the liver gets stimulated into producing inflammatory compounds and clotting factors.

These products from the liver may be responsible for the increases in cardiovascular disease seen in older postmenopausal women who had increased risks when initiating hormone therapy. If estrogen is administered through the skin, then estrogen bypasses the liver and goes directly to the target tissues unchanged and without stimulation of the inflammation or the clotting factors. In this way, transdermal estrogen may have all of the benefits known to standard HRT but none of the major risks (heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots). It may be important to remember again that the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots with hormone therapy was only seen in women who initiated hormone therapy beyond the “window of opportunity”. The majority of women who begin menopausal hormone therapy do so to control the symptoms of menopause (hot flashes and so on) and they are all safely within the ten year time frame.

#3. 17 Beta-estradiol is “BodyIdentical” and is preferred over non-human estrogens: Human women make estrogen primarily in their ovaries and the predominant estrogen is chemically called 17 Beta-estradiol, or E2. The chemical structure of this molecule has been known for over fifty years.

There is only one place in the universe where this substance is made naturally—within the human female ovary. 17 Beta-estradiol does not occur in horses, soybeans, yams, or anywhere else. It does not grow on trees or come from organic gardens. Importantly, there is no such thing as a human estrogen donor. An exact duplicate of naturally occurring 17 Beta-estradiol is available by prescription. It is produced under the strictest quality controls, tested, and approved by the FDA for use by symptomatic menopausal women. When it is applied to the skin as a spray, patch, cream, gel, or via the vagina BodyIdentical estrogen is distributed throughout the body and works exactly like a woman’s estrogen that she made naturally during her reproductive years. 17 Beta-estradiol that is BodyIdentical relieves all of the estrogen withdrawal symptoms of perimenopause (hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and osteoporosis) and helps prevent all of the estrogen deficiency health-related problems (heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, and depression). There are no advantages of taking menopausal hormone therapy that is not 17 Beta-estradiol transdermal BodyIdentical.

#4. Menopause Hormone Therapy is safe: There are several legitimate reasons some healthy women choose not to take menopausal hormone therapy. Safety should not be one of them. If a symptomatic menopausal woman initiates transdermal 17 Beta-estradiol BodyIdentical hormone therapy at or near the time of her menopause there are documented long-term safety benefits. The case could be made that MHT is the safest drug around. If one were to compare the use of other commonly prescribed medications such as aspirin or Lipitor, BodyIdentical estrogen has a superior safety/benefits profile.

When all the dust is settled, the estrogen therapy trump card is a 40% reduction in overall mortality. Forty percent! Nothing even close to that has been shown about aspirin or Lipitor. Also, as drugs go, 17 Beta-estradiol is not really a drug in the same sense of the word. A woman’s body naturally makes estrogen up until menopause but it never makes any Lipitor. Lipitor is a drug introduced into the biology of a person to counteract the effects of high cholesterol (since none of us seem eat right or exercise enough!) in the hopes of reducing cardiovascular disease and death. Menopausal Hormone Therapy does the same thing by resupplying estrogen that the ovaries used to make. That’s good news.

For a few women, hormone therapy is not recommended: undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, recent heart attack, hormone induced blood clots, severe liver disease, and a personal history of estrogen positive breast cancer. All told, for the typical fifty year old considering whether or not menopausal hormone therapy might be right for her, only about 3% are excluded by contraindications.

#5. Lifestyle: Many women underestimate the immediate and long term benefits that exercise and a whole food diet has on both the control of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, as well as the prevention of serious diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

For a complete and balanced discussion about how to be healthier at sixty than you were are forty read our book: WOMENOPAUSE: STOP PAUSING AND START LIVING by Lovera Wolf Miller, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. N.C.M.P., and David C. Miller, M.D., M.A., D.A.B.P.M., N.C.M.P.

www.womenopausebook.com

www.menopause.org

Update: Here is another great resource on menopause sent to me by one of my readers.

Menopause Healthline

Many seniors suffer from chronic lung diseases like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), chronic bronchitis, emphysema or asthma. It’s important to work with your doctor and follow prescribed treatments for these lung problems but there are many natural remedies which boost lung health, increase lung capacity and ease symptoms. Following a good lung health program can keep these debilitating health issues from getting worse and in many cases, help them improve.

Recently I had a case of bronchitis, something I haven’t had in many years. An xray showed “chronic bronchitis” or emphysema, probably a hold over from my time as a smoker many years ago. I quit smoking for good when I became pregnant with my daughter 25 years ago but some damage was done.

I spent 10 years as a hospital corpsman in the Navy and I saw people of all ages dragging oxygen bottles around behind them, barely able to breathe. The thought of that always scared me, but not enough to make me stop smoking at the time.

With visions of oxygen tanks dancing in my head, I had some decisions to make. At this point, the doctor was not telling me I needed inhalers or medications, only that if I got a bad cold or bronchitis again, I’d have to start treatments right away to avoid it making this lung condition worse. I’m very glad now that the health program I’ve been on for the past 15 years was aimed at increasing my immune system so I only rarely even get colds, much less bronchitis.

I’ve always been very proactive when it comes to health and finding alternative remedies for any health condition that comes up. Lung problems and breathing conditions have many alternative therapies to improve the quality of life and slow the progression.

The first thing I did was purchase a POWERbreathe Plus 2 Fitness Model Lung Muscle Trainer - A couple of years ago, our daughter, who played softball in college, was having breathing problems due to allergies and I got her one of these to work with. She said using the Powerbreathe twice a day really expanded her lung capacity and made it easier to breathe. I thought this would be just the thing to help me improve my breathing and open my airways. I’ve worked with it almost daily for a couple months and I’ve really noticed the improvement. The Powerbreathe has really helped my lungs feel clearer and I can breathe deeper since using it. It’s easy to use and easy to keep clean as well.

Foods for Lung Health

We drink green smoothies so it’s easy to incorporate foods for lung health but even if you aren’t a green smoothie fan, you can eat some of these foods daily:

Increase the antioxidants in your diet by eating lots of fruits and veggies, especially those containing carotenes:

• carrots
• sweet potatoes
• yellow squash
• leafy green vegetables

As a natural remedy for serious lung conditions such as COPD, be sure you get at least 9 servings of fruits and veggies daily. Eat lots of blueberries, broccoli, spinach and other healthy foods packed with antioxidants.

Drink lots of green tea and white tea - These drinks are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients which boost the immune system.

Eat Flax seeds or chia seeds - great sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and other lung healthy nutrients.

Improve Your Immune System with Supplements for Lung Health

• Astragalus -a Chinese tonic herb that enhances immune function. You can find it at your local health food store in a a tincture or capsule form. Look for standardized astragalus and follow dosing instructions.
• Co-Enzyme Q10 or CoQ10 improves the use of oxygen at the cellular level. Take at least 60 mg twice a day of the softgel form. CoQ10 works best when taken with a meal containing some fat.
• Vitamin D not only increases immunity to colds and flu but it also helps improve lung function in those with asthma, COPD and other lung diseases. Many, if not most, patients with lung illnesses test deficient in Vitamin D. The best source of Vitamin D is D3. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends 2,000 IU daily.
• Omega3 Fatty acids are healthy fats which improve heart function but are also great for the lungs. The American Heart Association recommends 2 to 4 grams per day, either from supplements or from sources like fish, chia seeds or flax seeds.

More Information on boosting your immune system naturally.

Gentle Exercise Improves COPD, Emphysema and Asthma

Exercise increases lung capacity and stamina, both of which are lost in chronic lung conditions. Start by walking, increasing speed and distance or take a water aerobics class, which is good for building your body but easy on your joints.

Try yoga - Yoga is a gentle stretching exercise that focuses on deep breathing. Yoga can build your body, your lungs and your immune system.

Tai Chi is another gentle form of flowing exercise that focuses on breathing.

Functional Fitness for COPD and Asthma - an on demand rental from Amazon which you can use for 7 days for just $1.99. If you decide you like the exercises in the video, you can also purchase it. These exercises require no special equipment and can help reduce the symptoms of asthma and COPD, plus there is some explanation of these conditions.

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises to increase lung capacity.

Other Natural Remedies for Health

Try the Healing Code by Alex Lloyd. This simple 6 minute process has helped thousands heal naturally from any health problem.

Brush and floss your teeth - Bacteria from gum disease can worsen conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Read Dr. Mercola’s article on this topic.

Stay tuned for more natural remedies for COPD, Emphysema and Asthma. Tomorrow’s posting will be about yoga breathing techniques to improve lung capacity. If you’re a baby boomer approaching retirement, you want to enjoy the second half of life and not be side-lined by chronic lung diseases.